Steve
Cohen's "Chamber Magic: A Demonstration of Modern Conjuring" which has been
running regularly at the Waldorf Towers in New York City will be moving to
London for the entire month of October. The shows are scheduled to run at
the Langham Hilton, with eight shows per week, through the end of the month.
The New York show continues to run every Friday Night through September. A
Page Six article mentioned, "That magician Steve Cohen will follow his boffo
Friday night shows in a penthouse at the Waldorf Towers with stints in Las
Vegas and London." For ticket information phone: 917-361-8751. To read the
Jun. 8 New York Post blurb click:
HERE.(6/10)

Gary Ouellet's obituary appeared in the Las Vegas
Review-Journal where they quoted Lance Burton, "His influence on
magic was profound… Gary was in large part responsible for the
current popularity of magic. The entire magic community is in
mourning. I will miss him." The obit concluded, "Burton, Darwin and
other Las Vegas magicians and stage performers described Ouellet's
death as jarring, saying he was in good health." To read the Jun. 9
obituary by J.M. Kalil titled "Gary Ouellet, producer of LV magic
shows, dies at 57" click:
HERE.(6/10)

Other Las Vegas afternoon shows are rooting for Darren
Romeo's show to succeed. A Las Vegas Review-Journal article quotes
Romeo, "Traditionally in this town, people don't spend money between
3 and 6 p.m… It's kind of frustrating and exciting at the same time.
If we can develop this, once again Siegfried and Roy will be
redefining the town." To read the Jun. 9 article by Mike Weatherford
titled "Other acts hope Romeo succeeds" click:
HERE.(6/10)

Are magicians a vanishing breed? A New York Post article
states, "Faced with intense competition from David Blaine, many see
no choice but to load up their acts with publicity- generating
stunts, stunts often so perilous that their rabbits are demanding
overtime and full benefits." To read the Jun. 9 article by Philip Recchia titled "Why Old Magic Is Vanishing" click:
HERE.(6/10)

Criss Angel can be heard on "The Ron & Fez Show" on 102.7 WNEW-FM
Radio on Monday Jun. 10th at 10:00pm.(6/10)

Ben
Robinson performs his "Interactive Abracadabra" show on Saturday
Jun. 15 at 11:45am and Sunday Jun. 16 at 11am at the Circle of Song
Tent at the annual "Clearwater Great Hudson River Revival Festival"
in Croton Point Park, NY, which was founded by Pete Seeger. The
Festival press explained, "…he will involve the audience, tell
stories illustrated by illusion and induce the audience to create
there own magic." Robinson will also perform his illusion of making
"…it appear as if a person in the audience is in three places at the
same time." Robinson will be the only magic show among the 90
performers on six stages. Event tickets range from $15-$45 per
person. For reservations and information phone: 800-67-SLOOP or
click: HERE.(6/11)

A Gary Ouellet obituary appears in the National Post which
announced the funeral arrangements, "A funeral service and cremation
will be held in Quebec City on Friday." The obituary also quotes
David Tumaroff, "We're in a business where people spend a lot of
time trying to make themselves famous… Gary spent a lot of time
making other people famous." Others quoted in the article are Gary
Pudney and Stan Allen. A memorial for Ouellet is currently being
organized by Tumaroff in Las Vegas for next week. To read the Jun.
11 Canadian Press obituary by Sheryl Ubelacker titled "Quebec native
Gary Ouellet, world-renowned magic show producer, dies at 57" click:
HERE.(6/11)

L.C. Collier's appearances with his anti-drug magic shows is
reported in The Hutchinson News where they point out, "His was the
only drug-education-focused program of the weekend, which was
designed more to reward its 58 fifth- and sixth-graders and show
them some of the alternatives to drug use." To read the Jun. 10
article by Lori Kurtzman titled "Just saying no" click:
HERE.(6/11)

A visit to the Magic Circle is recounted in the Independent. To read
the Jun. 9 article titled "Her Outdoors: `I want to dress in a tutu
and be sawn in half'" supplied by YellowBrix and Infoseek click:
HERE.(6/11)

David Corsaro performs his stage show at the Bellagio
Restaurant in Butler, NJ on Friday Jun. 14 at 9pm. This is his 5th
appearance at the venue in the past year. A buffet dinner begins at
7:30pm. Dinner and show costs $20 per person or $5 per person for
the show. For a reservation phone: 973-838-2900.(6/11)

OHIO: Peter Marucci presents his Bizarre Magic lecture on
Jun. 13 in Cleveland and on Jun. 15 in Akron.(6/11)

Tom
Mullica as Red Skelton and Stephen Holmes as Stagehand Mark at the opening of
the "Red Skelton Tribute" at the Branson Mall Music Theatre where the show is
scheduled to run through June. (Photo: David Sandy). (6/11)

Rev. Jim Blantz is featured in a South Bend Tribune article
that looks at his recent show and his long career as a magician. The
article points out that "If he hadn't already been a priest, Blantz
probably could have made a very good living as a magician." Blantz
who mentioned that he learned magic from Jim Ryan explained, "You
know that in a dimly lit room from 50 feet away, I can fool you… But
when you are 6 feet away and watching intently, and I still fool
you, you get that magic moment." Commenting on the field of "Gospel
Magic" Blatz said, "I could not do gospel magic and make it
realistic… My approach to magic and almost everything in life is
through comedy. I think it would be irreverent for me to do gospel
magic. I've seen it done, and I don't object to it, but I don't
think I would do it well." Rev. Blantz will be appearing at the
Magic Castle in July. To read the Jun. 6 article by Andrew S. Hughes
titled "The blessing of magic" click:
HERE. (6/12)

A memorial for Gary Ouellet will be held in Las Vegas on
Monday Jun. 17 at 3pm at the Insomnia club adjacent to the Blue Note
Las Vegas. According to a Las Vegas Review-Journal article "A family
trust for Ouellet's three children is being established today in
lieu of flowers. Call 248-0850 for details." To read the Jun. 11
article by Mike Weatherford titled "'Baywatch'-themed show taps into
ripe market" click:
HERE.(6/12)

John Measner in a Chicago Daily Herald article that looks at
his career as a magician since the age of 13. Measner explains his
strategies on performing in a restaurant, "I try to keep it so that
it's not too adult for children but not too childish for adults… If
they've seen me before, I could do something different. I always
have backup." To read the Jun. 8 article by Kat Zeman titled "Must
be magic in the air" click:
HERE.(6/12)

Penn & Teller begin a long run at the Samba Theatre at the
Rio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. They open on Jun. 14 and will
appear there through Sep. 1 on Wednesdays through Mondays.(6/12)

Paul
Kieve has created a Peppers Ghost style illusion to be used during Marissa Carnesky and Lava Evens Horse drawn Funeral Carriages that will be traveling
with the "Nightbird" festival throughout the streets of London during June.
The main event is the traditional London Victorian funeral procession held
on the evening of the Summer Solstice, the longest day of the year, when
Marissa Carnesky's horse and carriage apparition travels around the East End
of London. For more information about the free event phone: +44 (0)20 7737
4043.(6/13)

A Gary Ouellet obituary appeared in the Las Vegas Sun which
reported, "Last week, Ouellet left Las Vegas for Portugal to produce
13 one-hour Luis DeMatos live magic shows for European television.
He suffered an apparent heart attack on Saturday and died. He was
57." The obit also gives an update on the scheduled services, "A
memorial service will be 3 p.m. Monday, in the Tease Showroom at the
Blue Note. A funeral service also will be on Monday in Ouellet's
native Quebec." To read the Jun. 12 obituary by Ed Koch titled
"Magic show producer Ouellet dies at 57" click:
HERE.(6/13)

Steve Cohen is scheduled to appear on the Bloomberg Radio network on
Sunday Jun. 16 at 2:19am ET. The segment which is conducted by Joe Franklin
is titled "The Business of Show Business" and will be repeated every four
hours at: 6:19am, 10:19am, etc…(6/13)

Marty Hahne's shows at the Englewood Charlotte Public Library
are profiled in the Sun-Herald where they describe several of his
routines. To read the Jun. 12 article by Alyssa Schnugg titled
"Magician turns reading into magic" click:
HERE.(6/13)

Igor Kio's appearance in New York this summer coincides with
an interview with Yuri Pisarenko who is described as, "With the
exception of the grand master Igor Kio, there is probably no one
more famous in the Russian world of magic as Yuri Pisarenko."
71-year old Pisarenko who once worked for Kio explained how he
became a magician, "The famous magician Igor Kio worked at that
program, and I became his assistant. I stayed in the circus. I
helped here, there everywhere. I began to work under his direction,
and then I began to work on my own in 1949." To read the Russian
Nation article by Kim Palchikoff titled "Igor Kio" click:
HERE.(6/14)

David Blaine, Uri Geller and Michael Jackson's appearance at
the Exeter City Football Club and St. James's Park is reported in
the Torquay Herald Express. To read the Jun. 13 article by Catherine
Jones titled "Michael Jackson Plans Walkabout Around City Pitch"
click:
HERE.(6/14)

Max Maven presents his full show at the Mendelssohn Theatre
on Monday Jun. 17. This is part of the Summer Performing Arts
Festival in Ann Arbor, MI. For tickets and information phone:
734-764-2538 or 800-221-1229.(6/14)

CONNECTICUT: Cellini lectures for SAM Assembly #127 on
Monday Jun. 17 at 7:30pm at the St. Casimir's Polish National
Church (240 Quinnipiac Street) in Wallingford. Admission is free
to members and $15 for non-members.(6/14)

David Blaine, while visiting England, is profiled in a
Reuters story that quotes Uri Geller, "What David brought to the art
of magic is unimaginable. Some say he is going to be way, way beyond
Houdini and everyone else." Blaine's nest stunt is described, "Next
stop in February 2003 will be London where he is due to be thrown
into the freezing River Thames from Tower Bridge, hoping to escape
his chains before surfacing alive in an echo of Houdini's famous
escape from New York's East River." To read the Jun. 14 article by
Paul Majendie titled "Escapologist Blaine Denies Death Wish" click:
HERE.(6/15)

Darren Romeo's new show is reviewed in the Las Vegas
Review-Journal where it is described as a "…well-crafted, carefully
paced magic show with a novel twist: the magician sings, almost
continually." To read the Jun. 14 review by Mike Weatherford titled
"Romeo adds a soundtrack to stock illusions" click:
HERE.(6/15)

David Blaine and Uri Geller joined Michael Jackson in England
as he visited the British Parliament and Palace of Westminster
thanks to IBM and Magic Circle member Lord Janner of Braunstone.
Following the visit the entourage left for Exeter where they were
dangerously received by thousands of wild fans. A BBC article
reported that "Magician David Blaine tried to carry out a few tricks
after Jackson's speech, but not too many eyes were on him." To read
the Jun. 14 BBC article by Andrew Segal titled "Jacko still has
messiah touch" click:
HERE.
--To read the Agence France-Presse story titled "Open Sesame: magic
draws Michael Jackson to British parliament" click:
HERE.
--To read the Jun. 15 Scotsman article by Jason Beattie titled "The
case of Michael Jackson and the Palace of Westminster" click:
HERE.
--To read the Jun. 14 Reuters article by Paul Majendie titled "Pop
star Jackson floored by hysterical fans" click:
HERE.(6/15)

Mark Fuller's gospel magic show in a Roanoke Times article
that quotes him, "It is neat to be able to make people laugh and
have fun, but it's really cool to leave them with the message of
Jesus." To read the Jun. 13 article by Bonnie Naumann titled
"Christian magician uses tricks to spread the gospel" click:
HERE.(6/15)

Ricky Jay and David Mamet get an original Al Hirschfeld
portrait from the 99-year old artist who remembers seeing Houdini
perform. A New York Times article reproduces the conversation they
had during the sitting where they discuss magic, theater, Broadway
and much more. Hirschfeld remembers Houdini, "They'd put him on a
flagpole outside the Palace Theater at noon in a straitjacket. Then
they'd pulley him out to the end of the flagpole, and he'd get out
of the straitjacket and scoot down the flagpole back to the
theater." Jay also explained what he does on a regular performance
day, "Rehearse a little, go to sleep, get up, take a shower, go to
the theater two hours early, rehearse some more, and do the show.
It's completely consuming. I have maybe three hours a day to myself,
so I can do one thing, maybe have lunch with someone. And then after
the performance I can't sleep, I'm up till 4 or 5 in the morning,
wired from the adrenaline." To read the Jun. 16 article by Jesse
McKinley titled "A Memory of Houdini and, No Escaping It, It's a
Gabfest" click:
HERE.(A members only site -6/16)

Christopher Carter who performs in ''Christopher Carter
Messes With Your Mind'' at the Live Bait Theater in Chicago for the
next six weeks is featured in a Chicago Sun Times article that talks
to him about his life, career and show. Carter explains, "Maybe
15-ish percent of what I do is illusion… while about 60-ish percent
of it is just basic psychological principles. The rest is raw
intuition: guessing." To read the Jun. 9 article by Debra Pickett
titled "Sunday Lunch with a Mentalist" click:
HERE.(6/16)

Dennis Regling performs at the Road Fork Baptist Church in
Lower Salem, Ohio on Jun. 17-21 at 6pm. Admission is free. For more
information phone: 740-658-4336.(6/16)

NEW JERSEY: Johnny Thompson makes his exclusive New Jersey
appearance with his lecture on Wednesday Jun. 19 at 8pm for JMMRT
at the V.F.W. Hall (20 Pennsylvania Ave., two blocks from the NJ
Transit -- Linden train station) in Linden. Cost is $13 for
members and $18 for non-members. For more information phone Carl
Bajor at: 732-969-2566 or click:
HERE.(6/16)

CALIFORNIA: Aldo Colombini lectures for the Misdirections
Magic Shop on Wednesday Jun. 19 at 7:30pm. The lecture will take
place at the Miraloma Park Improvement Club (350-O'Shaughnessy
Blvd.) in San Francisco. For more information phone:
415-566-2180.(6/16)

NEW JERSEY: Bill Wisch lectures for IBM Ring #200 on Jun.
18 at 7:30pm at the Villager Theater (475 DeMott Lane) in
Franklin. Admission is free for members and $10.00 for guests. For
more information phone: 732-826-6647.(6/16)